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Civil service unions prepare for pensions “war” in November

Civil servants are preparing for strikes on November 30th as Prospect announced it was balloting its members and PCS declared it was on a “war footing.”

The news comes after both unions today held executive meetings to plan for action over pensions.

PCS, which already has a mandate for strike action, gave formal backing for more than a quarter of a million civil and public servants to join the strike, while Prospect said its 34,000 members would strike unless there was “positive movement” from the government over the pensions crisis.

Prospect deputy general secretary Dai Hudd said: “We’re asking members to join the TUC’s national day of action because of the unfairness of the government’s proposals and the lack of progress in negotiations.

“Our meeting focused on the absence of any meaningful negotiation on the crucial issues, such as contribution rates, pension age, transitional protection or accrual. If the government is serious about reaching agreement on pensions it has to listen to the views of its staff and make moves in their direction, otherwise the so-called consultation exercise is just a sham.”

While agreeing to co-ordinate strike action with other unins on November 30th, the PCS executive is also considering the potential of taking more targeted and selective industrial action alongside any taken nationally.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our union and others across the public sector are now on a war footing to prepare for what would be the biggest strike in UK history.

“If ministers continue to dig their heels in they will face industrial action by three million civil servants, health workers, teachers and other public servants that will not just last one day, but will be sustained for weeks and months.

“We believe we will continue to enjoy public support because we are not only fighting for the public sector, we are campaigning for fair pensions for all.”